Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to consumer electronic devices, and, more particularly, to electronic devices used in a home environment, and, in greater particularity, relates to disposable light bulbs.
Description of the Prior Art
The electrical outlet provided by a light socket may be used for devices for controlling the light and other functions that would be desirable in a home.
Electrical devices for use with light sources such as incandescent lights, fluorescent lights, LEDs placed in one socket may include a means mounted in a wall switch to turn on/off and/or dim the light source that saves energy when operating a light source and also allows the user to adjust the intensity of the light source to a desired level.
Electrical sockets can come in different sizes and shapes and are used in many different locations such as homes, offices or public places. An electrical socket including the device for hold the electrical socket can be mounted on a permanent surface such as a ceiling or on a moveable structure such as a table lamp or ceiling fan.
Electric lighting is well understood and has been used for years. Also the ability to dim a light bulb is also well understood. Usually in order to dim a light bulb, it is achieved by adjusting a dimmer switch that is located at the point where the light is either turned on or off. If a light bulb is screwed into a socket, the user would then rely upon the wall switch to have an additional feature of being able to dim the light. If such a switch exists, then the user can dim or lessen the brightness of the light-emitting bulb accordingly. Another device for controlling the light is a device plugged into the wall outlet with the plug for the light therein. This device turns the metal frame into a touch device for controlling the light. These features allow the user to adjust the brightness of the lighting within a room in accordance with a user's needs when using the lighting element itself. The need for dimming a light are numerous. Primarily a person will at some point find the need to dim the lighting within a particular room in their home environment. This can be done during dinner time to create a certain mood or while watching television in order to enable better viewing of the television itself. Also, nowadays with desk top computers, the lighting within a room maybe too bright to enjoy the use of the computer and there is thus a need to dim such lighting.
Typical light switches do not include the dimming feature due to the added cost of that type of switch. This may result in a user changing the wall switch to add a switch with the dimming feature. This work may be dangerous and even deadly and would require an electrician raising the cost even higher.
Another option to is change the light source such as an incandescent light to a different wattage. Unfortunately the consumer can not then adjust the light level without changing the source again. This may require the consumer to use a ladder to reach high sources and thus presents a danger of falling.
U.S. Patent Application Pub. 2014/0362559 discloses a device for mounting to a wall electrical outlet having a light therein as well as other features to compliment the modern home with smart devices therein. Other devices are shown that are mounted in light sockets or other outlets or are stand-alone to provide features desirable in a modern home: U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,789,523; 8,013,545; 8,382,315; 8,422,889; 8,562,158; 8,669,716; 8,893,968; and 8,899,797. All of these references are incorporate by reference as to their teachings. Although adapters for light sockets show USB therein, the USB are mounted in the main housing and would be difficult to find in the dark because they are not outstanding.
Accordingly, there is a need for a device that provides convenience to the consumer not only a dimming feature, but other features that are necessitated by today's modern home having numerous personal electronic devices therein such a cell phones, smart phones, tablets, etc.